Flasher switch



March 17, 1942. 1... E. DUGUAY FLASHER SWITCH Filed Jan. 8, 1940 ATTOR N EYS Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNITED STATE$ PATENT OFFICE FLASHER SWITCH Leo E. Duguay, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada Application January 8, 1940, Serial No. 312,984

1 Claim.

My invention relates to flasher switches and has as one of the principal objects thereof the provision of a flasher switch so constructed and arranged whereby the same may be connected in circuit with a stop light of a motor vehicle to effect a flashing thereof upon actuation of the switch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch of the above described character so constructed and arranged whereby the same is operable by the accelerator of the motor vehicle thereby effecting operation of the switch upon release of the foot from the accelerator pedal and previous to the application of the brakes of the vehicle.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch of the above described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, efficient in operation and economical in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention and illustrating the same in connected relation with the accelerator of a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my novel form of switch.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of one end of the switch.

Figure 4 is an end elevation.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective View of the contact housing and associated parts.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 'l---'! of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a top plan View of the front end of the plunger and illustrating the means for limiting the retractive position thereof with respect to the cylinder.

Figure 9 is a perspective View of one of the binding posts.

In practicing my invention, as illustrated in the drawing, I provide a hollow cylinder 5 having a closed rear end 6 and an open front end I. The cylinder 5 is provided with a liner 8 of insulating material and the front end 1 of said cylinder is fashioned with a circumferentially extending flange 9 forming a seat for a disk H] of insulating material arranged within the front end of the cylinder and maintained in engagement against the seat by means of a ring H secured within the cylinder adjacent the opposite side of the disk ID as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Extending through the disk 10 are a pair of binding posts l2 and I3 connected to wires l4 and !5 respectively. The wire I4 is connected at its opposite end to a wire I6 constituting one of a pair of wires forming the ignition circuit and said wire M is connected to the wire l6 at a point on one side of the ignition switch I8, the other side of the ignition switch being connected to the battery I9. The opposite end of the wire 15 is connected to a stop light 20, the latter having a wire 2| connecting the same to the other side of the battery l9 as clearly illustrated diagrammatically in Figure l of the drawing.

The inner end of the binding post I2 is formed with a laterally offset portion 23 for engagement with a pin 24 fixed to the free end of a resilient contact arm 25. The inner end of the binding post [3 is formed with a laterally offset portion 26 integrally connected to a contact sleeve 21, the latter being centrally disposed through the disk H1 and formed on its ends with right angularly disposed flanges 28 overlying the respective faces of the disk I!) to maintain said sleeve in fixed relation therewith. The contact sleeve 21 is provided with a square-shaped bore or passage in which is slidably mounted an elongated square-shaped plunger 29 having electrical connection with said sleeve. While I have illustrated both of the binding posts 12 and I3 as being arranged on the left side of the disk H] with respect to the plunger 29 (as illustrated in Figure 4), it is to be understood that they may be arranged on the right side or one on each side of the disk 10.

The plunger has mounted thereon an elongated square-shaped housing 30, said housing being normally movable with said plunger through frictional engagement therewith. However, said housing 30 is formed at its front end with a depending forwardly disposed stop finger SI for engagement with the inner face of the disk In to limit the forward movement of said housing with respect to the cylinder upon outward movement of the plunger 29, thus effecting relative movement between said housing and plunger.

The housing 30 has mounted thereon, adjacent its inner end, an exterior collar 32 of insulating material. Clamped about said collar 32 and insulated from the housing 30 and plunger 29 is a clamp 33 which clamps the inner end of the contact arm 25 to said housing and between the clamp 33 and the collar 32 to insulate said arm 25 from said housing. The front end of the contact arm, subjacent the pin 24, is formed with a depending V-shaped head 34 for sliding engagement with the upper face of the plunger 29. The plunger, at spaced intervals, is provided with inserts 35 of insulating material and which are adapted to be engaged by the head 34 of the contact arm 25. The inner end of the plunger 29 is provided with a sleeve 31 of insulating material and to which is connected one end of a coil spring 36. The opposite end of the coil spring 38 is connected to the upper end of a bracket 39 secured within the rear end of the cylinder 5.

The front end of the plunger 29, exteriorly of said cylinder 5, is formed with an elongated slot 40 having extending therethrough a bolt equipped with a head 42 and a nut 43, said head and nut constituting a stop for engagement with the sleeve. 27 whereby to limit the inward movement of the plunger. By adjusting the bolt within the slot, the inward movement of said plunger may be limited in a manner to dis-pose the head 34 in engagement with the outermost insert 35 and thereby maintain the circuit in open condition when the vehicle is at a standstill.

The front end of the plunger has connected thereto a member 44 of insulating material to which is connected the rear end of a link 45. The front end of the link 45 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a rocker arm 45, the opposite end of which is connected by means of a rod 41 to a butterfly valve 48 arranged within the intake section 49 of an intake manifold 50 of a motor vehicle engine (not shown). The rocker arm 46 is pivotally connected, by means of a rod to an accelerator pedal 52, the latter being pivotally connected to the floor 53 of the motor vehicle in the usual manner.

In operation, the parts being in the position illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, the pedal 52 is depressed to eifect acceleration of the motor vehicle engine and thereby causes the plunger 29 to move forwardly with respect to the cylinder 5.

Forward movement of the plunger 5 causes the contact housing 35 to move forward and engage the disk Ill through the medium of its finger 31. Upon forward movement of the housing the pin 24 is disposed out of engagement with the laterally offset portion 23 of the binding post I2 thus maintaining the circuit in open condition during forward movement of the plunger. When the drivers foot is released from the accelerator pedal 52, the spring 38 serves to retract the plunger 29 and likewise the contact housing 33 mounted thereon. Retraction of the contact housing 351 with the plunger 29 serves to effect engagement of the pin 24 with the portion 23 and eifect electrical connection therebetween. When the pin 24 thus engages the portion 23, it serves to maintain the housing 30 stationary and as the plunger is retracted by the spring 38 the head 34 engages the plunger and completes the electrical circuit between the contact members [2 and I3. During the retraction of the plunger the head engages the inserts 35 and effects intermittent breaking of the circuit and causes intermittent flashing of the stop light 20 in advance of the application of the brakes of said vehicle, it being understood that the foot of the driver is removed from the accelerator pedal 52 to apply said brakes and it is during this interval that the intermittent flashing of the stop light 20 is obtained. At the completion of the retracting movement of the plunger the head 34 is disposed in engagement with the outermost insert 35 to maintain the circuit in open condition.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a novel form of flasher switch adapted for connection to the stop light of a motor vehicle and which is so constructed and arranged as to be operated by the accelerator of the vehicle and previous to the application of the brakes of said vehicle.

vithout further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in advance forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a switch of the character described, an elongated casing having an insulating head in one end thereof, a contact sleeve mounted in an aperture through the said head, a binding post extended through the head and electrically connected with the said sleeve, a second binding post extended through the head and insulated from the sleeve, a plunger slidable through the sleeve, a spring connected to the plunger for yieldingly sliding the same to a retracted position inwardly of the head, a housing frictionally slidable on the plunger, a plurality of longitudinally spaced contact sections on the plunger separated by insulated sections, and a contact arm carried by the housing having sliding contact with the respective contact sections on the plunger adapted to engage the insulated binding post when the plunger is moved to a retracted position inwardly of the insulated head.

LEO DUGUAY. 

